WAR OF ATTRITION: Boks prepare to peak as All Blacks face test of endurance

South Africa believe the final two matches against New Zealand could expose the difference between a carefully managed squad and an exhausted one. Rassie Erasmus is preparing the Springboks for the second half of the Greatest Rivalry Test series, with the next fortnight expected to test both teams’ endurance.

The Springboks have built their recent success around peaking at the right time. Since 2018, coaches have managed the wider squad to keep players fresh and match-fit. That approach helped South Africa win back-to-back World Cups, a British & Irish Lions series and three Rugby Championship titles.

The 2025 European tour offered a rehearsal for the current series and the 2027 World Cup playoffs. South Africa used 37 players during five demanding weeks. Both upcoming competitions feature matches across four consecutive weeks, making squad management a central concern.

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I’ve been involved in a Lions series both as a player and coach, and the series only gets really competitive when you reach the third match.

“I’ve been involved in a Lions series both as a player and coach, and the series only gets really competitive when you reach the third match,” Erasmus said. “It’s in weeks three and four when you start getting injuries, and we always felt that the fourth match was going to be a decider.”

The All Blacks have already lost five players to serious injuries. Ten leading New Zealand players have played more than 200 minutes over the past six weeks, while only two Springboks have crossed that mark. South Africa also brought several important players, including Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, into the series short of match practice because of injuries. Feinberg-Mngomezulu will start the third Test after playing only his fourth match in three months.

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It’s in weeks three and four when you start getting injuries, and we always felt that the fourth match was going to be a decider.